Dalish
by Birdi 13 in da house
Summary: The misadventures of a Dalish Gray Warden as she races time, and wanted posters, to unify a nation at its most crumbled to save a kingdom that has never shown her kindness. During the events of 'Origins' & after. SPOILERS if you haven't finished the game
1. Crea

Ever since she could remember, Crea had been a resident of the Brecilian forest, born among a tight-knit clan of the Dalish Elves that inhabited the southern depths of the massive forest that stretched across most of the eastern side of Ferelden. The Dalish were a proud group of Elves that wandered among the trees, free to roam were they would. Despite that, however, they were looked upon with fear and hate by the humans that had conquered their lands long before. Managing to break loose, the Dalish clung to the old, half-forgotten traditions of their ancestors, holding the story of their people dear to their hearts.

Crea had been raised on the tales of old, and it had always fascinated her. Ever since her birth, the elven child had been a constant source of mischief and pride. After she had lived only but seven years, the girl had half the clan wrapped around her finger. The adults adored her for her vicious passion for the old ways, and the children loved her for her constant daring acts and her wall of power that had them fascinated with her. Of all of her followers, the one the clung to her heels the most was a young boy by the name of Tamlen. He was but only a year older than her, and tried his best to always be by her side.

Crea grew quickly, her personality only growing more daring by every year she lived. She studied hard to learn the culture and stories of her people, and quickly mastered the ways of the bow and duel weapons. At the age of fourteen, Crea completed her trials of passing and became a hunter, and adult, of the clan. Tamlen followed her footsteps two years after. By the time her best friend had joined her, Crea had begun to blossom into a beautiful young woman.

Years passed again, and finally Crea's eighteenth year passed, the flower she was had completely bloomed, making many of the young men of the clan finally take notice.

Crea was slender and graceful, much like a cat, her limbs delicate and her figure beautifully curved. Her skin was a sun-kissed brown and her face was smooth, sculpted with soft curves and an attractively stubborn chin, and framed with blazing red hair, a trait very rare among the Dalish. Her nose was curved lightly with a regal appearance and she had delicately curved brows that made men melt when she arched one in disbelief or curiosity, as well as a pair of soft lips that were full and seductive. And beneath a veil of thick, dark eyelashes, she had eyes that were said to reflect the ways the Dalish had once been, a luscious green that was like the forest itself, with flecks of gold that gave them the appearance of light shining through the leaves.

This had come to make Tamlen's life very miserable as he did his best to keep the suitors at bay, doing his best to be a good brother to his friend, acting his best as her only remaining family. And with the way the men followed Crea around like a group of lovesick puppies, he could've sworn she did it on purpose.

Yet, despite all these antics she did to tease him as her greatest friend, she still spent much of her days with him, hunting among the trees. But as was sometimes the case, the subject of their hunt was not always the local wildlife.

XXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A human man burst through the bushes, panting heavily, his eyes wide and terrified as he sprinted through the trees. Often, he stumbled, always catching himself just before he fell, and always looking back, as if running from something. He rounded a corner and came face to face with an elven bow, a wicked arrow and a slender Elven man with dirty blonde hair and cold blue eyes, dark tattoos tracing his jaw line and across his brow. The man tried to back track, but only ended up falling on his backside and trying to scramble away. Before he could shout a warning, his two companions came sprinting up behind him, only to have the elf raise his bow to them as well.

"It's a Dalish!" The man on the ground gasped, pointing at the elf.

"And you three are somewhere you shouldn't be." The elf said, eyes narrowing and the draw on his bow tightening.

"Let us pass, elf," One of the other men said, trying to sound authoritive, "You have no right to stop us."

"No?" The elf inquired, eyebrow raised, "We will see about that, won't we?"

Just as he said it, another elf emerged silently from between the trees, her hair blazing like fire, a bow drawn as well.

"You're just in time," The blonde elf told his companion, "I found these humans lurking in the bushes. Bandits, no doubt." The redhead raised one sultry eyebrow, her eyes narrowing as well as she inspected them

"We aren't bandits, I swear!" The man protested, "Please don't hurt us!"

"You _shemlen_ are pathetic," The blonde elf growled as he and his companion advanced, training on their targets, "It's hard to believe you ever drove us from our home."

"W-w-we've never done nothing to you, Dalish," Another man said, voice high with fear, "We didn't even know this forest was yours!"

"This forest isn't ours, fool!" The blonde elf snarled, grip on his bow tightening, "You stumbled too close to our camp. You _shems_ are like vermin, we can't trust you not to make mischief. What do you say, _lethalan_, what should we do with them?"

The female elf gave the humans a feral smile as she thought about it, green eyes pensive.

"Let's find out what they're doing here." The woman said, voice as smooth and sultry as silk.

"Does it matter?" The blonde one asked with disdain, "Hunting or bandits, we will need to move camp if we let them live!"

"L-look, we didn't come here to be trouble," Another said, shaking, "We just found a cave."

"Yes, a cave!" The first said, "With ruins like I've never seen! We thought there might be … uh-"

"Treasure?" The blonde elf asked, voice as flat and dry as a piece of paper, "So, you are more like thieves than actual bandits."

"Ha!" The woman scoffed, "I'd like to see these _ruins_."

"So would I," The man said, blue eyes hard, "I've never heard of ruins in these parts."

"But ah-ah-I have proof! Here! We found this, just inside the entrance." The leader said, holding out a small trinket to the woman, who jerked her bow towards the ground to indicate he should place it there. The blonde male picked it up and inspected it.

"This stone… has carvings," He hesitated, "Is this Elvish? Written Elvish?"

"There-there's more in the ruins!" The human said desperately, then shaking his head and staring at the ground, "We didn't get very far in though."

"Why not?" The woman asked, gold-green eyes narrowing more.

"There was a demon!" The man explained, "It was huge, with black eyes. Thank the Maker we were able to outrun it!"

Both elves bristled at the mention of the _shemlen_ god, but then brushed it off. The male made a disbelieving sound.

"A demon?" His voice flattened again, "Where is this cave?"

"Just off the west, I think," The man said, his companions nodding, "There's a cave in the rock face, and a huge hole just inside."

"Well?" The man asked his companion, "Do you trust them? Should we let them go?"

"You've frightened them enough, Tamlen," The woman said with a forlorn sigh, "They won't bother us."

"Run along then, _shems_," The elf named Tamlen said, a sigh mirroring his companion's, "And don't come back until we Dalish have moved on!" As he said it, both he and the woman lowered their bows, replacing the arrows in their quivers.

"Of course!" The leader agreed, following his companions as they took off through the trees, "Thank you! Thank you!"

With a satisfied sigh, Tamlen turned to Crea and shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, do you want to see if there's any truth to their story? These carving make me curious." Tamlen admitted, making Crea give him a thoughtful frown.

"Shouldn't we inform the Keeper?" She asked, gold-green eyes worried.

"She might be interested in these carvings. But I think we should see if there's anything more, before we get excited," He exhaled, "Besides, we're already here. So, they said it was to the West."

With a sigh, Crea gave in. Tamlen really did have a way of being persuasive. She still felt that they should speak to the Keeper, regardless of how small the discovery was. She had an uneasy feeling about this 'demon'." But if Tamlen got excited, she wouldn't be able to curb him aside. And he was telling _her_ not to get excited….

Crea shrugged, then turned her head to the sky, watching the sun to find the Western sky. Once she got their bearings, Crea began work her way through the forest, Tamlen right behind her.

"Do you think they were lying?" Tamlen asked, blue eyes pensive, "I hope not. Think of it, _written_ Elvish!"

"Tamlen," Crea sighed, "You were telling _me_ not to get excited. Look at you…. I have a bad feeling about this. I might just be paranoid, but can you please just work with me if I feel like something's wrong?"

"I will," Tamlen promised, dropping into step beside her, "I understand if you get worried. And that isn't often."

"Exactly."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxx

After what must have been about half an hour, Crea and Tamlen heard a low snarl and looked up the path. Three white wolves were crouched over the body of a dead _halla_, its many antlers covered in its own blood. Crea's eyes fell and she unsheathed her daggers, twirling the wicked blades experimentally.

"Normally I don't have problems with you beasts, but this is a step too far." She growled, Tamlen pulling his bow.

The wolves snarled again, challenging Crea and Tamlen, who obliged. Tamlen's arrow hit home, burying itself to the feathers in one wolf's chest, while Crea engaged the other two, daggers slicing them apart. By the time she was done slicing the wolves to ribbons, they were bleeding from the arteries and Crea's daggers were dripping with it.

"It shouldn't have been the _halla_…" Crea whispered, closing the wolves' eyes and smoothing their raised hackles back across their fangs, praying to the god of Wolves to take their souls and return their bodies to the forest.

Then she stood and nodded to Tamlen, starting to jog down the slightly over grown path before them.

"It's like we never knew this was here, and yet there's a trail…" She murmured, gold-green eyes pensive.

Finally, they came to a halt outside a massive cave, just like the humans had said. On either side of the opening were pillars, sculpted from the rock. The two elves stared, eyes wide.

"The cave," Tamlen said, glancing at Crea, "I don't recall seeing this before, do you?"

Crea shook her head, looking into the depths of the darkness before them.

"No, and that worries me. We should be wary." Crea said, a spark in her eyes. It was slightly different from the daring look she normally had in these situations, but she wasn't about to back down from a challenge.

"Always the careful one," Tamlen teased, knowing very well what was going through Crea's mind, "Fine. But I'm not running back until I know there's something worth making a fuss over. Come on, let's at least see what's there. How dangerous could it be?" His tone was prodding at Crea, challenging her to be the same daring youth she normally was. Crea shot him a filthy glare, but gave in. She knew she was afraid, but she had no reason to be. She'd done things so much more daring than walking into a _cave_, but the uneasy feeling wouldn't leave.

"All right, let's go."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxx

The inside of the cave was massive, and there was a little light, some of it seeming to come from the rock walls itself. There were more pillars, supporting the ceiling, despite some places where it seemed to have caved in anyways. To the surprise of the two, there was a doorway after the cave opened to the first chamber, carved from the rock itself. Now Crea's endless curiosity kicked in; there was much to explore here. And what if they _did_ find something of the Old People? Before the humans had taken their lands away?

"Hm, looks like them _shems_ was telling the truth…," Tamlen said, "These ruins look more human than elven."

Crea shrugged and jogged through the door, looking around to see what was there. Looking up, she saw a large sack hanging from the ceiling, a rounded metal object hanging out a bit. She convinced Tamlen to give her a boost and managed to pull out a shield. Then she inspected the sack. It was roughly the size of a human; it even looked like one, if he was hung upside down. Then she took a closer look at the sack. It didn't look like cloth, so she poked it experimentally. Her finger stuck to it and she jerked back with a small yelp, throwing Tamlen off balance and they both fell to the ground.

"What is wrong with you?" Tamlen asked, a little grouchy, "You never act like this!"

"Tamlen, we're not alone," Crea whispered, "Keep your eyes and ears open….."

"I know, I know… But you need-"

"For spiders," Crea's eyes were hard, "_Big_ spiders."

"Like the tree crawlers?"

"No, the _big_ ones."

"Gods….," Tamlen sighed, "Then I guess we will have to be careful." To enforce that he took her seriously, he prepared his bow and had an arrow ready.

Crea nodded and continued into the room before them, her ears trained on the ceiling. Just as she expected, there was a loud hissing noise and two massive spiders dropped from the ceiling, each larger than her. This was the part she hoped they didn't manage to tackle her and rip her apart while she was stuck beneath them. Crea drew her daggers and didn't even flinch as Tamlen's first arrow came whistling past her ear, hitting the spider in front of her. Crea turned her attention to the one to her left and ripped it apart as she cut limbs apart to slow the spider down, then plunged both blades deep into its head. Just before the other creature could make its way to Tamlen, Crea pounced onto its back and began slashing at the monster's head and middle, keeping it distracted as Tamlen trained an arrow on it, preparing for a one-shot kill.

"Crea!" Tamlen bellowed, and the female elf dove off the spider, just missing the arrow Tamlen had loosed. The spider curled up, shivered and died.

Looking up, Crea and Tamlen glanced at each other, then the dead spiders.

"Gods, we need to listen for these, don't we?" Tamlen asked, Crea nodding as she got up and brushed herself off,

"It looks like we're just in an entry hall sort of room," She said, looking around, "There isn't much to be found here."

"What about that door over there?" Tamlen asked, pointing to the wooden door across the room.

"If it even opens." Crea said, but shrugged and gave the wood a light push. To her surprise, the door creaked open, leaving more of the ruins to be explored. Nodding to each other, the two elves stepped inside to explore the next room.

It opened up onto a hallway, going in two directions, while they were faced with a wall if the continued on. There were large amounts of dirt and stone littering the floors and in large stacks against the wall, and to her left, Crea saw a small wheelbarrow, as if someone had been working to clean the place out, then was called away, never to return. The sight of such a thing made her wonder just how long the place had been forgotten.

Turning to her left, Crea ventured down the hall ducking under roots that had pushed their way through the wall, and well as beginning to come up through the floor, pushing tiles aside and bringing even more dirt into the dusty hallway.

There were carvings everywhere, and Crea couldn't even really describe them. They were so strange, alien to her, and it was hard to even think of what they had been made to look like.

As she continued, the hall veered to the right and Crea continued on, only to come face to face with another door. She froze when she heard more hissing, warning her that there were spiders overhead. Looking up, Crea saw nothing, so she decided to venture to the next room, blades drawn.

The second the door opened, four spiders came rushing at them. Crea looked down and noticed a pressure plate a few inches away from her foot.

"Tamlen, trap!" She warned, trying to step around it. With the spiders bearing down on them, she wouldn't have time to disarm it. Unfortunately, one of the spiders made a lunge, and to keep from being knocked into Tamlen, Crea had to dodge to the right, her foot connecting with the raised plate. Immediately, fire erupted around her. The spider that had charged got the brunt of it and gave a horrible scream as it slowly burned to death. Crea got away with some singed skin. But now that she had gotten around the plate, Crea threw herself into the mass, trying to keep them from getting to Tamlen, who was a ranged fighter and needed space to be able to help her.

Soon, it was over, two more spiders falling victim to the jet of flames near the door. Tamlen waited for the fire to die down, then joined Crea in the massive room.

It was covered in the webs of the massive creatures, and there were sections of the floor missing, showing where there were large wooden beams that held these stone tablets in place. Crea and Tamlen found more cocoons here and Crea cut them open, finding small trinkets and sometimes money inside.

"I wonder how recent these are," Tamlen said, "And how do they get here so often. Do the spiders go out at night and bring them back here."

"I hope I never find out." Crea mumbled, seriously not wanting to know.

After she had scoured the room, Crea led Tamlen back into the hall and went back the way they came. However, instead of returning to the surface, Crea continued down the hall, coming to a halt near a door at the end.

"Psh, another one." Crea growled, pointing out another pressure plate. She pushed small rocks underneath the plate, making it impossible to let the plate sink under weight and trigger the trap. Crea didn't want to know what surprise it would have this time. After she had cared for the pressure plate, Crea tried her luck at the door, but it was jammed shut. She couldn't even pick the lock. She shrugged and stood, about to let Tamlen know that they could go back to the surface when he pointed to his right at another door she hadn't noticed. Mentally, Crea swore. Her bad feeling was getting worse, and she wanted to be rid of this place. And it kept finding ways to keep her here.

"Yeah, that one might work." Crea said, pushing the door open.

"I wonder what else could be here," Tamlen said thoughtfully, "I've never seen anything quite like this. It has a _shem_ feel to it, but- Gods."

Crea looked up from scanning the floor for more traps and stared at the statue against the wall. Cast in bronze, it was a figure of a woman in armor and sweeping robes, and spear in one hand and strangely constructed wings emerging from her shoulder blades.

"Tamlen?" Crea asked, gold green eyes flicking to her friend and back.

"It's one of the gods," Tamlen whispered, "Don't you recognize her?"

"Why would one of our gods be in a _shemlen_ ruin?" Crea whispered back, chills dancing up and down her spine.

"I can't answer that and you know it. But it reminds me of the artifacts we've seen from the time of Arlathan, before the _shems_ enslaved us."

"It's interesting," Crea admitted, "So much of our lore is lost to us."

"But I never would have guessed ancient elves would have lived here. With humans…." Tamlen said, the last of his words sounding more like a curse. Crea couldn't imagine it either, but, though she understood, she was a little surprised at the disdain in Tamlen's voice. But before she could ask him about what had put him in this mood, he glanced behind him.

"Hey, a door."

"Hm?" Crea turned, then sighed, "Ah, yes. Another door. Tamlen, aren't you getting uncomfortable? This place is giving me the creeps."

"What?" Tamlen stared at Crea like she'd grown a third eye, "Who are you, and what have you done with my friend? The Crea I know wouldn't turn tail and retreat."

Crea knew his needling was to try to bully her into relaxing a little, but his words still stung and her pride was now tender.

"Fine!" She hissed, shouldering him, "Let's go look behind this door of yours!"

"Crea….," Tamlen grabbed her arm and held on until she would face him, "You don't need to get cranky."

"I'm not," Crea grumbled, "You're just so fascinated and I want to leave. The sooner we get out of here, the better."

"But what if we find something?" Tamlen said, blue eyes shining, "Like… like… written Elvish! Don't you think the keeper would be the least bit interested? We could unlock the secrets that we forgot! We could rebuild Arlathan!"

"Some secrets are never meant to leave the grave," Crea mumbled, just low enough that Tamlen couldn't hear, "Very well, let's open your door."

"Excellent!" Tamlen exclaimed, bounding towards it. Crea hissed and grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

"Idiot! Do you not see those holes in the wall?"

"What of them?" Tamlen asked.

"See that plate on the floor? They're connected to it, I'll wager my blades on it. Poison gas is my best bet."

"What makes you still think it's working?"

"The ones that threw flame seemed to be working just fine." Crea said matter-of-factly, raising one delicately curved eyebrow. Tamlen swore and glanced away.

"Do it your way, then. Better safe than sorry."

"Indeed." Crea nodded and crouched next to the plate, studying its construction. It was more complicated; a couple of pebbles to hold it up wouldn't do.

"What's the hold up?" Tamlen asked, making Crea growl in annoyance.

"Give me your boot knife," She said, holding a hand out, "Now."

"Why mine?" Tamlen protested.

"You hardly use it anyways," Crea retorted, "I doubt I'll break it, so stop whining."

"I'm not whining." Her friend grumbled, passing his blade over.

"Your are now." She responded in a sickeningly cute voice. Tamlen wrinkled his nose and glared at her. When he figured she wasn't paying attention anyways, he looked away.

Meanwhile, Crea tucked the blade under the plate and pried up, popping the heavy stone from its setting.

"See here?" She traced the inner workings of the trap in the air above it, "If any of these five pads had even the slightest pressure, they would have opened these valves and we'd be dying."

"Well, aren't we clever? Can you disarm it?"

"I think so," Crea said, "It might take me a minute though, I've never done this before."

"I'll be backing away slowly," Tamlen teased, making Crea stick her tongue out at him.

"Thanks for your faith in me. You're a true friend."

"Well, you at least know I'm an honest one."

"So be it. This shouldn't take too long. Don't get into any trouble."

"I'll be right here," Tamlen sighed, "Just hurry up."

"All done." Crea admitted, tossing Tamlen's boot knife so that she could catch it by the blade and hand it to him hilt first.

"That was…. fast."

"Told you it wouldn't take long." Crea said with a shrug, tossing her hair for effect. Tamlen rolled his eyes and elbowed her.

"Very modest….."

"As always!"

"I'm sure."

"Well," Crea sighed, "Shall we go look behind this mystery door?"

"Yes. So we can look around and be sure, then leave."

"Then leave." Crea confirmed.

"Ladies first." Tamlen offered her the door and Crea stepped forward. When her hand touched the wood, she took a deep breath and pushed.

A moment later, she screamed.

XXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxx

Alright, quickly, to start things off. I DO NOT own Dragon Age: Origins, but I'm sure most of us readers have played at least a little by now. Or watched friends play, etc.

Due to this, what I DO own is the character design of my OC. Now, I'm doing my best to hold true to all the details, so don't jump on me too much, it's hard to keep up. Essentially, this is the story of my character as close to the original storyline as I can manage. So any deliverings of bad news, "witty one-liners" and major story arcs, credit immediately goes to the writers of Bioware. Any embellishments, additions, etc. are mine and I hope you enjoy reading them. Also, a warning: I am going through the whole game and what happens afterwards. If you haven't completed the game, or anything related, be prepared for a "Spoiler Alert", or do your best to catch up so you can keep track of the major parts of the story. I'm not saying that you're a failure as a gamer; you're just farther behind. No worries, this game is amazing and should be played at your leisure. Enjoy the game, and hopefully you'll enjoy this story too. Don't worry, I can't do light speed updates (Some characters talk too fast), so you all have plenty of time to settle in. So, sit back, enjoy, laugh, grumble, growl, agree, disagree and anything else. As I request on my profile page, I would love it if you leave comments or critiques, but if something I wrote, or did, makes you upset, or inclined to flame, take it to my inbox. We can work out any grievances in private without getting out of hand. I hope you all enjoy, and KEEP GAMING!


	2. Mirror of Nightmares

Crea hadn't screamed in years, and it took more than was natural to break her composure, but Tamlen had never heard a sound that could make his blood turn to ice like this.

Inside the door was a creature that could only have emerged from nightmares, its broad head turning towards them. Without hesitation, it began a lumbering charge towards them, saliva dripping from oversized fangs. Tamlen felt as though his feet were rooted to the floor, and he could only breathe in small gasps, fear holding him tight.

"Tamlen!" Crea broke away from her terror and dove for him, shoving him out of the open doorway and clear of the creature's berth. It was slow to stop, its weight making it difficult to curb its momentum. Crea rolled to her feet and tore her daggers loose, fighting her instincts to flee.

"Crea, look out!" Tamlen yelled as the creature's immense paw shot out to swipe at her. Crea leapt back, trying to clear the beast's range, but cut it just a little too short. She snarled angrily as its long claws scraped across her belly.

_'That was too close,'_ Crea scolded herself, _'You can't let it happen again! You know nothing of the surprises this creature could have for you!'_

"Down!"

Crea ducked as Tamlen's arrow shot past her, wedging itself in the creature's right eye. It howled in pain and began another charge.

_'It's like a bear,'_ Crea observed, _'A spiny, decaying…. angry…. bear. But a bear…. The Gods hate me today.'_

"Tamlen, blind it! Take out its eyes!" Crea cried, another arrow whistling by her before she finished what she was saying. Glancing at her opponent, Crea could see that the creature was still angry and in pain, but now it was at a disadvantage.

"Now, aim for the belly! I'll open a target!" Crea mentally swore as she glanced at her friend. Tamlen was pale as moonlight, and his eyes frantic, but he bit his lip and nodded. Crea nodded once and lept for the creature, dodging its desperate swipes with its immense paws. She stepped to a side and left a stinging gash in the creature's side, dancing out of range when it roared in displeasure and swung her way. She repeated the offense on its other side, harassing it and magnifying its rage. But she was still having trouble getting it to stand. It wasn't easy to coax around, unlike the native animals to the Brecilian Forest. Frustrated, Crea left an angry slash across the creature's muzzle. With a fed-up roar, the monster rose to its hind legs and stretched out its claws, searching for Crea. Tamlen's arrows were accurate and in fast succession, each striking deep. Crea ducked under the creature's claws and dug her daggers in deep, trying to access the soft organs under the decayed flesh and patchy fur.

Her daggers met their marks and she pulled away as the creature swayed, then fell, its death roar ending when it hit the ground.

"What- what was that?" Tamlen stammered, dropping his bow.

"I don't know," Crea hissed, grabbing his bow off the ground and stuffing it into his hands, "And I don't want to know if there's any more around."

"It was like something out of a nightmare…."

"Which is why I want to LEAVE!" Crea insisted, pulling her daggers from the dead creature's belly and shoved them into their sheathes angrily, "Let's go!"

"Wait-"

"No-!"

"_Lethalon_, look." Tamlen pointed deeper into the chamber. Crea dug her fingernails into her palms, but turned and stared.

Only a few paces from them were steps that led up to a dais. At the peak, a mirror rested, its surface covered in darkness.

"What-?"

"Look at the script at the top," Tamlen said quietly, "What do you think it means?"

"I don't care. I don't trust it, and neither should you."

"It's sat here for who knows how many centuries, what could be so dangerous? Don't worry, I won't break anything, I just wonder what the writing is for."

Crea's only response was to make an angry hissing noise, unable to word her frustration.

"Tamlen-"

"Did you see that?" Tamlen asked suddenly, "I think something moved inside it!" He took a step forward. Crea took a step back.

"Get away from it, Tamlen. It's not natural, let it be. Leave it to gather more dust. Please!"

"Hold on," Tamlen hissed, "I just want to know what it is- You see! There it is again!"

Crea had been seconds from knocking her friend on the head and carrying him home, but she'd seen the ripple across the mirror's surface as well. Her blood ran cold and she felt a tugging at the base of her spine, like a rope trying to drag her closer.

"Please…." Crea whispered, her voice stolen away by the silence.

"I think it knows we're here…." As if his fear had been taken away, Tamlen's voice only held curiosity, making Crea grind her teeth. She felt the fear draining away, and the rope at her spine tugged harder. She wasn't going to give in that easily. Then Tamlen made it worse.

"I just need to take a closer look." He said with finality, approaching the stairs and ascending them. Crea looked pleadingly to the stone above her, but also climbed the stairs. However, she fought for each step, making sure it was taken on her willpower, instead of the endless tugging coming from the mirror. She halted a stride away from it, fighting to be dominant. She was about to make Tamlen do the same when he stepped right up to the glassy surface, his face mere inches from the surface.

"It's… showing me places." He said, brushing the mirror with his fingers, sending ripples across it.

"Gods, Tamlen-"

"I see a city." He continued, squinting as if his vision was from a distance. Crea only saw even more ripples, and the grey-blue surface slowly turning an angry red. Tamlen glanced at her, as if to confirm she was still there, then turned back to the mirror.

"Underground? And…. There's a great blackness- Darkness. Gods, it's dark," He traced his fingers across the mirror once more. Crea took half a step closer, watching as a growing look of horror grew on Tamlen's face, "It saw me-!"

"What saw you?" Crea asked, fear rising in her stomach once more and heat rushing through her veins, cleansing the mirror's control from her. But it would not release Tamlen; it had found its prey.

"Help! I can't look away!" Tamlen cried, angry ripples bubbling across the mirror and colors flashing. Crea's eyes hurt and she squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to separate from those angry lights. She heard Tamlen's feet drag as he tried to pull free from the mirror, but it had his hand stuck to its surface and held him fast.

"Crea? Crea, help me!" She heard Tamlen yell. Crea opened her eyes, reaching for her friend. But before she could touch him, there was a flash and she was thrown away from him.

"Tamlen!" She screamed her friend's name in defiance as all faded to darkness.

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_ It was hazy. All she could see was gray. All she could feel was hard, cold stone pressing against her back. Crea took deep breaths, trying to get her bearings, but everything felt light. She couldn't feel pain, but when she sat up, her dream world spun._

_ She knew there was something important she was forgetting, but she couldn't grasp it. Every time she got close, it danced away, like a ghost. Crea pushed herself to her feet, but couldn't stay on them for long. Finally, she resigned herself to crawl, feeling dirt and rocks beneath her hands. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she had to leave. Something was hunting her, it wasn't near her, but she could feel it coming, like the temperature drop before rain._

_ She had to go. Then her world started to strangle her, poison choking her lungs. Coughing, Crea threw herself away from that air, pressing through it. The force still hunted her. She was scared. The world around her was gray; the darker parts were barriers, while the gray she crawled across was a path. Things she couldn't see stabbed her palms, smashed against her shoulders, tugged at her hair. But she drove on._

_ Then, ahead, she could see white, she could smell familiar scents; things that made her feel safe. But she felt the force behind her still, darker, hungrier. She couldn't stop running, not yet._

_ Softness beneath her hands, warmth on her back, there was light all around her. Crea pushed herself to her feet. She could walk; barely, but it picked up her speed. Yet that darkness drove her on._

_ Then she collided with a force that was in her path. Unlike the barriers, it would flex and it could move; it was different. She felt it bind around her and she collapsed._

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She couldn't move, but she could see. Crea gasped, the noise sounding distant to her ears. There was a pillar of white marble nearby, and ferns. Trees. Moss.

An echo disturbed her thoughts, and she reached for it; she was afraid, but curious. Maybe she could get her bearings.

"-ou hear me? Can you hear me?" The voice asked. Crea slowly turned her head, trying to find the source of the echoes. She found it in a shape that blocked out the sun. As her vision focused, she saw a man leaning over her, positioned as if her head was on his lap. When he met her eyes, sorrow filled his own.

"I am… very sorry…" He said quietly, as if he was telling her she was to die. But it didn't feel right in the tone he said it. There was pity, so much pity. Why did he pity her?

Then a roaring filled her ears and her vision began to fade again. She cried out in fear. She didn't want to reside in darkness again.

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Crea could hear birds. Slowly, she opened her eyes, trying to prepare them against the blinding sunlight. She knew this place. How did she know this place? There was a table in the corner, stacked with bowls and vials. Drying herbs were strung out across the ceiling. How did she know this place?

Across the room from her was a cot with a drawn curtain. Turning her head, she saw the books behind her. Books. Home?

Slowly, the memories returned. She was home. This was the Keeper's _aravel_. But why was she here? Shouldn't she be in her own?

Crea pushed herself into a sitting position, groaning. It felt as if she hadn't moved for weeks. Stubbornly, she slowly slid one leg off the cot, then the other. She braced against the headboard, then pushed herself into a standing position.

It was hard to maintain. Lights danced before her eyes and her legs shook from the effort to remain standing. But she refused to let herself fall. Gods, she was thirsty.

Taking a deep breath, Crea took one step towards the door, then another. Her legs began to remember their job and she began to move smoother. She still didn't understand why she felt like she had been beaten with large sticks.

A twinge in her hands made her look down and she blinked, unable to understand what she was seeing. Her hands were bandaged tightly, as if they had been cut all over. Why were her hands bandaged?

Shaking herself, Crea pushed those thoughts away. Someone would tell her. She curled a hand around the curtain door and flung it open. It turned out to be a grave mistake as sunlight rushed to greet her in full force. Her world spun again and she put a hand to her head, feeling it throb angrily. What had happened?

"You're awake!" A voice called, making Crea look up into the relieved face of someone she knew, "You've the Gods' own luck, _lethalon_."

"Fenarel? What- Where?"

"You're…. back at camp. Everyone was worried sick about you. How do you feel?" The male elf asked, reaching out to steady her.

Suddenly, the nagging feeling in the back of her mind surfaced.

"Worried…. Gods, where is Tamlen?" She asked, hearing a hysterical tone in her voice. Fenarel flinched and met her eyes with effort.

"We don't know," He admitted, "The _shem_ who brought you here saw no sign of him.

"A human? What human?"

"A _shem_ brought you back…. two days ago," Fenarel explained, "You don't remember him?" But something else caught Crea's mind.

"I've been here for two days?"

"Yes! There was a Gray Warden. He appeared out of nowhere with you slung over his shoulder. You were hardly conscious, with a hard fever. He said that he found you outside a cave in the forest, barely conscious and alone. He came, left you here and departed again."

"Wait, fever? Gray Warden? How can I not remember this?"

"The Keeper has been using the Old Magic to heal you."

"The-," A heavy weight crashed down on Crea's chest; Old Magic was difficult to control and only used in very serious situations, "But- Is anyone looking for Tamlen? Forget me, where is my friend? Have you been looking for _him_?"

"Of course! Most of the hunters we have are looking for him right now. But the Keeper wanted to speak with you as soon as you awoke. She's very concerned. Stay here, I'll get her." Fenarel waited until Crea hesitantly nodded, then ran further into the camp, dodging two apprentice hunters as they walked by.

Crea chewed her lower lip. Tamlen was missing, and she had been out for two days. That meant Tamlen had been missing for two days.

_'Oh, Gods, if you have any mercy, bring him home to me. I failed to protect him once, it won't happen again. I beg you.'_ Crea sent her silent prayer to the sky, hoping that the gods of the heavens would pass it on to their earthen cousins and guide her friend home to her. Finishing her prayer, Crea turned to face the footsteps that approached her back.

"I see you are awake, _da'len_," Keeper Merathari said in her soft voice, "Gods be thanked. It is fortunate that Duncan found you as early as he did. I don't know what dark power held you, but it nearly bled all your life from you. Even with my more powerful grasp on the Old Magic, it was difficult to keep you alive."

"If I-," Crea felt her eyes grow hot, "I kept telling Tamlen we should have come back. Keeper, forgive me. I failed to protect him-"

"Do not worry, _da'len_," The Keeper said, taking one of Crea's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze, "Even I might have been intrigued by such a discovery that I would have been compelled to explore it further."

Crea stopped herself from recoiling just in time.

"Even you-"

"Yes," Keeper Merathari admitted, "Even I could have given in."

"Yes…."

"Duncan thinks there may have been Dark Spawn creatures in that cave," The Keeper said, Crea internally bristling at the continual mention of this human stranger. Rescuer or not, her was an outsider and Crea had grown up protecting her clan from them.

"Crea?" The Keeper's voice broke through Crea's frustration, "Is that true?"

"There were things in that cave that weren't natural," Crea admitted, "Strange creatures…. And I felt such a darkness there… It was so powerful."

"Darkness?" The Keeper asked, her brow furrowing, "Dark magic, perhaps? But not Dark Spawn…. I don't know what those other creatures you mentioned might have been. If you could-"

Crea shuddered and knew that the Keeper could see she was trying to keep those memories away. Taking a deep breath, the Keeper changed subjects.

"_Da'len_, what else did you find? What do you last remember?"

"Did- did this… Duncan?" Crea asked, to which the Keeper answered with merely a nod, "Did he mention a mirror?"

"A mirror? And it caused all this?" The Keeper asked, her soft voice almost disbelieving, "I have never heard of such a thing in all the lore we have collected from our crumbled origins."

"As I have not either…." Crea admitted. The Keeper sighed heavily and looked away.

"I was hoping to understand more when you awoke, to get some answers, but now there are only more questions. And, worst, Tamlen remains missing. He is more important than any lore in those ruins, as are you, _da'len_."

"What if he was affected as I was?" Crea asked desperately.

"If he is as sick as you were, his condition is very grave. I know not what shape he could be in?"

"And the _shemlen_? Is it possible-"

"Duncan returned to the cave to search for Dark Spawn, but we cannot rely on him to look for Tamlen as well. Gray Warden's serve their oaths over the requests of any outsiders."

"But it's Tamlen!" Crea protested, "If he serves his vows over others, why did this Duncan save me and not look for my friend when he discovered that another was missing?"

"I do not know. But we must search for him ourselves, and quickly. Do you feel well enough to show us the way, _da'len_? Without your direction, we will not find it."

"Yes. Even if I wasn't, he is my friend. I would not sit still while others searched. I am well enough." Crea said, her body calling her a liar the entire time.

"I am relieved to hear this," The Keeper smiled wearily, "As a warning, I am ordering the clan to pack to go North. Time is short. Take Merrill with you to the cave, find Tamlen if you can, but do it swiftly. We do not have much time left. Am I clear?"

"Take Merrill with me and find Tamlen. Yes, I understand. But why?"

"If what the Gray Warden, Duncan, says is true, there may soon be Dark Spawn in these parts. We must get away from that horde. I will not risk the safety of this clan if I can get a warning from the individuals that know Dark Spawn best. But that is not our only concern; there is a more immediate one. _Da'len_, did you encounter any other humans while you were out in the forest?"

"Yes," Crea said, "We drove them off. We spared them, even though they were too close to the camp to be safe. Bloodshed always complicates things."

"Ah, _da'len_, even though you hurt no one, these humans," The Keeper said it with venom, "Roused their nearby village to come against us. As usual, our kind is not welcome to them."

"Those filthy curs," Crea growled, "How _dare_ they? We could have killed them before they knew we were there and they know it!"

"Regardless, if they are aware of our presence, we have stayed too long. We _must_ move on, and we must do so quickly. Do as I asked and be swift. Though we have two things to drive us from this place, Tamlen's life is threatened. It hangs in the Balance, and it is slowly slipping away. If we find him, it needs to be soon. Do you understand?"

"More than any other individual here. Pray for me, Keeper," Crea said softly, "I feel the Gods cannot hear my own. Or they choose not to grant them."

"Child, the Gods work in ways we cannot understand. Unfortunately for us, we can only hope that they are kinder than they are cruel. But I will pray. My voice may yet reach them."

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Crea had found her daggers and was crossing camp to look for Merrill, the Keeper's apprentice, when she was intercepted by Fenarel.

"Is it true that Keeper is sending you back to that place?" He asked, concern apparent in his every feature.

"It's ill-advised to eavesdrop," Crea said, "But yes, and I won't go back on my word. And Merrill will be coming with me."

"I want to go with you!" Fenarel blurted out, startling Crea, "Keeper Merathari may not approve, but I can help find Tamlen. He's my friend too."

"I'm only supposed to take Merrill." Crea said tonelessly, gold-green eyes blank of emotion.

"I want to help find him. You're not the only one who cares about him. I don't care if it's dangerous; if Merrill can risk it, so can I!"

"Fenarel, Merrill is a Keeper's apprentice. She has magic!"

"And I have weapons. I'm just as good in a fight, if not better."

He had a point; Crea couldn't deny it. Fenarel was a good shot, and he had proven himself often enough that it was apparent he was dependable.

"All right, come along then. An extra set of eyes can't hurt, and our time to search is getting shorter by the minute."

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"Are you _sure_ the Keeper said he could come?" Merrill asked suspiciously, glaring at Fenarel from the corner of her eye.

"Merrill, we're already underway, does it really matter?" Fenarel sighed.

"I knew it," She grumbled, "He just signed himself on. No permission, nothing. The Keeper will be furious."

"I very much doubt that," Crea said, "The Keeper is an understanding woman. As long as we all come back in one piece, she'll be happy. Which is why I need to find Tamlen."

"We know," Merrill said, "Don't worry. We aren't giving up on him just yet."

"I'm never giving up on him! I won't rest until I find him." Crea growled, making Merrill hesitate before she followed Crea again.

"Crea….," Fenarel caught up to whisper to her, "Did you hear that?"

"Hear-" Crea realized she couldn't hear much at all right now. There was another noise, coming from within the depths of her mind. A nagging throb, like silent drums, and voices she couldn't hear with her outside ears.

"From farther ahead. It sounds like grunting, and snarls, but it sounds like no forest beast I know."

Then she heard it. She held up a hand, and her companions slowed. Crea slowly advanced on a curve in the trail and peeked around a tree.

They were hideous creatures, short and demented, yet shaped like a small man. They were dressed in rusting chainmail and spiked plates on their shoulders and knees. One held a wickedly curved bow, the other wandered about with a small shield and nasty short blade. They could have come up to her shoulder, but she felt icy fear in her veins. She couldn't scream, not this time. They would see her, and she already knew that they would enjoy killing her. There was no mercy in those squinting eyes. Crea tried to slide back around the tree, but one of the monsters looked up and let out a delighted squeal. Its companion saw her as well and they uttered a watery chortle, advancing on her.

Crea fled.

"Draw! Draw now!" She cried as she reached Fenarel and Merrill, sliding her own daggers from their sheathes.

"Gods! What are those?" Fenarel exclaimed as the monsters rounded the bend.

"Doesn't matter! Kill them!" Merrill yelled, a bolt of blue light lashing out. The first monster fell instantly. Fenarel's arrow found an open curve at the neck of the second's chainmail. Crea jumped in as the creature stopped to howl in pain and slashed at it with her daggers. Finally, one found the monster's throat and she let it bite deep. The creature died as she stepped away.

Crea and her companions stared at the two creatures in silence, shaking.

"What were those things?" Merrill asked suddenly, making Crea jump, "Are they those Dark Spawn that the human kept mentioning?"

"You're asking me?" Crea asked incredulously, "Damned if I know, I've never seen them before!"

"I don't know! It's just- I've never felt anything like them before. You can feel the evil pouring off them; it's so thick you can almost smell it?"

Crea shuddered. She'd gotten that impression too.

"It must be something to do with that mirror," Crea said, "Until I found that cursed thing, we never had to deal with this!"

"How could they be connected to our people? The mirror had elvish inscription, you said?" Crea nodded, "How can that be? Arlathan fell long before Dark Spawn came into history."

Crea swore colorfully, bringing color to her companions' cheeks.

"I'm just so confused! I can't think!"

"Are you alright?" Merrill asked quietly, peering at her face.

"What?"

"Were you hurt during the fight? Even a little?" Fenarel asked. Crea shook her head, pushing aside the slight ringing in her ears. It was just the adrenaline clearing her veins, it had to be.

"I'm fine. Why?" She asked. Fenarel and Merrill exchanged worried glances.

"You're looking quite pale. Are you sure you're alright?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Crea snapped. Merrill and Fenarel flinched.

"Nothing," Merrill said, almost too quickly, "It's nothing. Let's just press on."

"Yes." Crea said shortly, turning on her heel and continuing deeper into the forest. Fenarel jogged to catch up, leaving Merrill to follow. Crea slowly retraced her path, remembering it vaguely. Once banks rose up on both sides around the trail, things began to feel more familiar. It didn't stop her from feeling trapped. The songs of the birds had gone, not a sound could be heard except the light wind that ran through the trees.

"Whatever you awoke in that cave has spread outside it," Merrill said quietly, fear barely disguised in her voice, "The sooner we find the cave, and Tamlen, the sooner we can leave it behind forever. Let's hurry; I want to be on our way."

"I think we're almost there….," Crea said, "Yes, we are. See that small cliff face cover in thorns? The entrance lies beyond."

"In and out," Merrill said, "Swiftly."

"Down here," Crea gestured that her companions should follow, "It's going to get dark fast. And keep your eyes open."

Crea, Fenarel and Merrill slowly descended into the darkness, letting their eyes try to adjust to the meager light. The light that had seemed to come from the stone itself had gone, leaving the elves to depend on their vision and the meager slivers of light that had found some way into the depths of the underground building. Once they had entered the anti-chamber that Crea and Tamlen had first set foot in, Merrill came to a halt.

"This architecture…. It's definitely human, but you said there were Elven artifacts among this mess?"

"Did I say that?" Crea asked, her mind drifting elsewhere. There was that throbbing in her head again, and whispers echoing through the darkest corners of her mind. It felt as though she was being called for; something wanted her to reach it.

"That's part of what I've gathered from talking to the Keeper and yourself. Crea, are you sure you're alright?"

"Fine," Crea said sharply, "Let's keep going."

She had hardly taken two steps when she gasped and retreated from two shapes lying in front of her.

"More of these things?" Fenarel asked, "What- But they're dead. Someone must have dealt with them already…."

"D-dead?" Crea stammered, "You're sure?"

"Yes," Fenarel poked one of the dead Dark Spawn with the end of his bow, "There's certainly enough blood…"

"How can Tamlen still be alive with all these creatures about? It's so uncertain…"

"Don't talk like that!" Crea snapped as something in her heart crumbled, "He has to be here! He _has_ to be!"

"I'm sorry," Merrill said, touching her arm, "I should not give up hope so soon. We should continue before I go on more about my fears."

"Yes, please…." Crea said quietly. She took a deep breath then squared her shoulders, "Alright, we go beyond that door."

"What's behind it?" Fenarel asked.

"A long hallway, in two directions. We go right."

"Understood." Merrill said, approaching the door. Crea ground her teeth and forced herself forward. Nothing would be awaiting her on the other side of that door, she was sure of it. But the ones beyond it….. There were no promises there. There was one thing she knew now, almost for certain: That mirror was calling her back. It wanted the prey it had lost.


End file.
